Antonio Guterres: Serious warning of escalation – ceasefire in the Persian Gulf on the brink

The UN is sounding the alarm about another dangerous US-Iran escalation, warning that the fragile ceasefire could collapse at any time.

It is with particular concern that the international community is following the latest developments in the Middle East, as the tension between the United States and Iran continues to grow, sparking fears of uncontrolled regional conflagration. At the UN Security Council, the Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a stern warning, underlining that the already fragile situation in the Persian Gulf risks escalating into a generalized conflict if there is no immediate de-escalation and full respect of the ceasefire. At the same time, continuous exchanges of fire and sharp statements on both sides are intensifying the climate of instability, with the UN sounding the alarm for a crisis that could go beyond regional boundaries and reach global proportions.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned today that there is a risk of a return to “total war” in the Middle East following new exchanges of fire between Iran and the US.

We must minimize the risks

“In the Gulf region, the ceasefire is probably a fire that has been contained, as we have seen with the escalation of attacks and rhetoric over the last 48 hours. And we have to minimize the risks so that this limited fire does not become total, in other words, a total war,” Guterres told the Security Council meeting.

“I am horrified by the fact that we are seeing escalation after escalation,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk told the press from Geneva. “We always feel great relief when a ceasefire is announced, but ceasefires must be fully respected. International law must be fully respected.”

The remarks come as Iran and the United States exchanged fire again overnight after the destruction of a U.S. helicopter, which was blamed on Tehran.

Donald Trump said today that Iran was too late to negotiate and would “pay the price” from now on after promising an imminent deal with Tehran yesterday to end the war in the Middle East.